i got a subaru. (announcer) love. it's what makes a subaru a subaru. your financial advisor should focus on your long-term goals, not their short-term agenda. [ male announcer ] join the nearly 7 million investors who think like you do. face time and think time make a difference. at edward jones, it's how we make sense of investing. >>> welcome back to "early start," everyone. president obama breaking bread with republicans, but will it help break the partisan gridlock in taxes and spending cuts? that's the key question. the president took a group of key republican senators to dinner last night in the nation's capital, a swanky restaurant, signaling a new strategy of personal outreach during this time of forced spending cuts. cnn's dan lothian is live in washington with more on the dining and the dealing and maybe the nice tone? >> reporter: that's right. there is this sense of optimism coming out of that dinner meeting. the president, according to the white house, enjoyed the dinner, said that there was a good exchange of ideas. they touched on a numb